Dehydrator



Fe 15, 1949. R. L. PUCCINELU 2,461 710 J DEHYDRATOR :5 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Aug. 5, 1943 Wm mm hm QN INVENTOR R.'L.Pu.c'cineZZLl ATTORNEYS Feb; 15, 1949. R. PUCCINELLI DEHYDRATOR 3 Sheets-Sheet 3v Filed Aug. 3, 1945 INVENTOR 'RLPucczneZZzl Ml: WL

ATTORNEYS Patented Feb. 15, 1949 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE I 2,461,770 DEHYDRATOR Romolo L. Puccinelli, Turlock, Calif. Application August 3, 1943, Serial No. 497,153

3 Claims. (01. 214-23) This invention relates generally to the art of dehydration of fruits, vegetables and the like.

Specifically the invention is directed to the conception of a two-stage heat type of dehydrator wherein a train of trays is moved through a single tunnel and which may have its cars progressively moved one by one into and out of the continuous tunnel without interruption of the air flow and at the same time subject the produce on the trays to the two-stage drying heat.

The manner in which I accomplish this novel objective will be apparent by a perusal of the following specification.

In the drawings similar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in the several views, in which:

Figure 1 is a diagrammatic side view of the continuous, two-stage heat tunnel showing the cars of produce trays in the position they assume in the practicing of my improved invention.

Figure 2 is a. diagrammatic side view of the hot end of the tunnel showing the position of the cars just as one car has been advanced from the hot end of the tunnel into the finishing-ofi'end. to replace a car which has been simultaneously discharged from the finishing end of the tunnel.

Figure 3 is a view similar to Fig, 2, but showing the cars in the hot end of the tunnel shifted to replace a car in the space S (see Fig. 2) which has been emptied by the advance of the car from the hot end to the finishing endof the tunnel, as shown in Fig. 2.

Figure 4 is a vertical section taken on a line 4-4 of Fig. 1.

Figure 5 is a transverse section taken on a line 55 of Fig. l.

Figure 6 is an enlarged plan view of an operating means for a door interposedbetween the hot end and the finishing end of the continuous tunnel.

Figure 7 is an enlarged fragmentary side elevation showing details of a car pushing means.

Figure 8 is an enlarged fragmentary section taken on a line 8-8 of Fig. 7.

Figure 9 is a side elevation of a fixed stop to prevent cars advanced from the hot end to the finishing end of the tunnel from rolling back to interfere with the operation of the car advancing and door opening mechanism.

Referring now more particularly to the characters of reference'on the drawings, the numeral I designates the single continuous drying tunnel which, for the purposes'of my invention, is dividad by a door D into a hot end H and a finishing en F. r

vided a furnace chamber Ill, and above the finishing end F is a like furnace chamber II. Suitable heating elements are located in each of the chambers I0 and II. Since these are conventional they are not shown in detail, but are illustrated by the showing of the burner nozzles l2.

Heated air from the chamber II is propelled by any suitable means, such as a fan I3 into the finishing end F of the tunnel I at a point near the outlet door I4 thereof. This air then travels the length of the finishing end F of the tunnel until it strikes the door D, which is normally closed. Assuming that a vegetable such as cabbage is being dehydrated the heat and velocity of the flowing air will be regulated so that it will enter the space F at F. By the time it' reaches the door D it will drop in temperature to about 120 F. I

When baffled by the door D the air fromspace F is forced through a flue I5 into the furnace chamber I0. Here it will be heated up to a desired temperature, probably F. for cabbage, and is propelled by suitable means, such as a fan [6, into the but end H of the tunnel I near the entering door thereof. This air then passes through the space H, gathering moisture very rapidly from the produce in such space, as such produce at this point is fresh and full of moisture.

This moisture saturated air is bafiled by the door D and forced through a flue I! either to the atmosphere or into the furnace chamber I I at flue I8 controlled by damper valve I9. the humidity of the air entering the finishin end F of tunnel I may be controlled, the valve I9 being either operated manually or automatically by suitable humidostats, not shown as this feature forms no direct part of my invention and would be conventional.

It will be apparent that to maintain the aforesaid two-stage temperature with a single continuous tunnel involves the placement of the dividing door D at an intermediate point in such end to end, and since the dehydrating operation Thus,

requires that these cars be moved, one at a time, into and out of the tunnel, there is created the problem of opening door D to allow the cars to progressively move from the hot end H to the finishing end F of the tunnel, since access to the door is blocked by the cars which closely fit within the tunnel. The method and means of solving this problem constitutes one of the important phases of my invention, and which I will now describe in detail.

When the dehydration operation is being car ried out the tray cars C stand in the tunnel I in the relationship shown in Fig. 1, with the door D closed between the spaces H and F. When in this relationship the space S between the lead car 29 in the space H and the door D is just equal to the width of one car. The space DS between the door D and the trailing car 2| in the space F is equal to the width of one car plus enough room, say two feet, to allow a sufficient clearance, as shown in Fig. 3, between the trailing car and the panels 2 of door D when the latter is open.

At a point preferably outside and beyond the entry door 22 is a cylinder 23, within which is a piston 24; This piston wouldpreferably have a length of travel within the cylinder equal to the width of three of the cars C plus the clearance allowance in space DS. Thus, if the cars were three feet wide and the said clearance space was two feet, the movement of the piston in each direction would be eleven feet. The purpose of thus fixing the piston movement will presently appear.

The pistons 8 and 24 are preferably operable by fluid pressure admitted to the cylinders 3 and 23. To this end, and to carry out the operations hereafter described, the two cylinders sand 23 are connected in parallel with each other with respect to the fluid pressure which is supplied through piping P and controlled by a three-way valve V, as shown in Fig. 1.

A long piston rod projects from the piston 24 and through the end of cylinder 23 and extends preferably through a channel 2% in the bottom of tunnel I and which channel terminates at a point just beyond the back edge of the trailing car 2! in space F as shown in Fig. 1.

At the front end of this piston rod 25 is a spring pressed push dog 21, shown best in Fig; '7. This dog comprises a pivoted inclined portion 28 normally held against a stop 29 by a yieldable spring 30, which dog 21 is normally held by the spring 32 a sufiicient distance above the channel 26 to cause it to engage down-turned flanges St on the rear of the cars C. The inclined portion 28 allows the dog to be pushed down below the flanges 3| which the rod '25 moves backward.

When the rod 25 is in its most retracted position the dog 2? is engaged with the flange 3| on the leading car in the space H, as shown in' Fig. 1. When in its most extending position it pushes the leading car in space H to the position of the trailing car in space F, as shown in Fig. 3. How this is accomplished will appear later. The distance of travel of this car will be the distance'of travel of the piston 24, viz: eleven feet in the example givenhere.

A fixed dog 32, shown in Fig. 9, is a similar construction to the dog 21 and set in the floor of the space DS to engage the flange 3| on the trailing car in the space F to prevent the car rolling back after having been pushed to that position by dog 21, and such dog having been retracted.

A third dog 33 of like construction to that of dog 21 is mounted to float on the piston rod 25 4 between two stops 34 and 35 on the rod 25. The distance between these stops in the example here assumed would be eight feet.

When the piston rod 25 is in its most retracted position the stop 35 has pulled and holds the dog 33 against a stop 33 in the channel 26. At this point said dog 33 engages the flange 3| on the trailing car 38 in the space H.

In the normal operating position of the tray cars, as in Fig. l, the pistons- 8 and 24 are in fully retracted position. Thus, the (1001" D is held closed, the stop 21 is against the leading car 20 in space H, and the stop 33 is against the trailing car 35 in the same space. V

When the parts are in this normal operating position, as shown in Fig. 2, and it is desired to withdraw the lead car 3'! in the space F through the outlet door I4 and replace it in the tunnel by introducing a car through the entry door 22 into space H, it becomes necessary to advance all the cars through the tunnel l a distance equal to the width of one car, leaving the final set-up to again be the normal one, as disclosed in Fig. 1. This operation is accomplished in the manner now to be described.

When the operator at the discharge end of the tunnel '1 determines that the produce on the lead car 37 is sufficiently dehydrated to warrant its removal he gives a suitable audible or visual si nal to the operator at the entry end of the tunnel. The latter operator then positions a car of trays 38, containingproduce, near the entry door 22. He then'turns valve V to that position which will turn the fluid pressure into piping P in the proper position to act on the pistons 24 and 8 to tend to drive them forwardly in their respective cylinders 23 and 9.

Since the weight of'the door D and connected parts offers more resistance against the piston 8 than does the lead car 20 in space H offer against the piston24 through the dog 2'? and piston rod 25, the piston24 will therefore move first. This action causes piston rod 25 and dog 2'! to move the lead car 26 forwardly. This movement continues until the car as comes in contact with the closed door D. This offers resistance to the continued forward movement of the car, and at the same time tends to ease the resistance of the door against the piston 8.

Thereupon the movement of piston 24 stops andpressure builds up in cylinder 9 and moves piston 8 forward. This action opens the door panels 2 of door D through the medium of the piston rod 1, cross head 6, lines 5, lever arms 4 and pivot pins 3. See Fig. 6.

The piston 8 having then reached the limit of its forward stroke-its movement stops and pressure again builds up in cylinder 23 and the piston 24 continues its forward movement, causing rod 25 and dog 2l to push the car 2!] through the door opening of door D and against the trailing car 2| in space F. Up to this point the piston 25 has, in the example here assumed, travelled eight feet. This is the distance equal to the width 'of two tray cars plus two feet, the distance allowed for clearance of door panels 2.

Since the distance between the stops 34 and 35 is eight feet it will be apparent that during the eight-foot travel of the rod 25 above described such rod floated through the dog 33 without imparting any movement to such dog or to the car 28 against which it was engaged.

However, as the rod 25 completes its eight-foot movement the stop 34 comes into contact with the dog 33. The continued movement of therod 25, which is three feet, then pushes the dog against the car 39 and moves it and all cars in front of it three feet, or the width of one tray car. This fills the gap just made by the advance of the lead car 20 with the next succeeding car and forms a gap made by the advance of the trailing car 38. (See Figs. 2 and 3.)

Simultaneously with this movement of cars in the space H the described'three-foot movement of the piston 25 has pushed the car 20 and trailing car 2|, and all cars in front of it, through space F the distance of one car width. This moves lead car 37 forward so that it may be withdrawn through door I4, and fills the gap with the next succeeding car. The car 39 is then moved by hand into space H and positioned to fill the gap left by the forward movement of car 38 It will be obvious that the above sequence of movements results in leaving the tunnel I filled with tray cars arranged in the same desired normal position shown in Fig. 1. This having been accomplished, the operator turns valve V to the proper position to reverse the fiow of the pressure fluid in the cylinders 23 and 9.

Since the open door panels 2 and connected parts offerresistance to the movement of the piston 8, the piston 24 therefore moves first and the rod 25 pulls the dogs 21 and 33 back to the normal position shown in Fig. 1. When the piston 24 moves the limit of its backward stroke As the piston rod 25 retracts the springs 30 allowthe dogs to depress and clear the car flanges 3|.

From the foregoing description it will be readily seen that I have produced such a device as substantially fulfills the objects of the invention as set forth herein.

While this specification sets forth in detail the present and preferred construction of the device, still in practice such deviationsfrom such detail may be resorted to as do not form a departure from the spirit of the invention, as defined by the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention what I claim as new and useful and desire to secure by Letters Patent is: v

1. In combination with a tunnel and a train of cars disposed in said tunnel; a rod, means to advance and retract said rod, a fixed dog on the rod adapted to normally engage the front car of the train of cars when the rod is in retracted position; a pair of spaced stops on said rod, a second dog floating between the stops and adapted to normally engage the rear car of such train of cars when the rod is in retracted position, the advancement of the rod first causing the fixed dog to move such front car a predetermined distance while the second clog floats on the arm, continued movement of the arm causing one stop to engage the second dog and cause it to move the balance of the train a predetermined distance, retraction of the rod carrying both the dogs back to normal starting position.

2. In combination with a single continuous tunnel, a door at an intermediate point in said tunnel and dividing the tunnel into two parts and a train of tray cars in each part; means to sequentially first open the door and. then shift the position of the cars in the tunnel parts, such shifting means comprising a fluid pressure operating mechanism which includes two cylinders connected in parallel with a source of fluid pressure, one cylinder operating means to open the door and the other cylinder operating means to shift the cars, such latter means comprising a reciprocatin piston in the cylinder, 2. piston rod on the piston means on such rod to first advance the front car of the train of cars in one part of the tunnel until such car contacts the door, such contact offering such a. resistance against the pressure in the rod operating cylinder as to cause the pressure to build up in the door operating cylinder and to open the door, the rod then continuing to advance to move such front car through the door, and means on the rod to thereafter advance the balance of the train of cars a predetermined distance.

3. A combination as in claim 2, with means to reverse the pressure in the cylinders to cause the mechanism to retract the piston and to close the door.

ROMOLO L. PUCCINELLI.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 687,033 Kester Nov. 19, 1901 691,722 Martin Jan. 21, 1902 1,147,593 Ayres July 20, 1915 1,161,587 Ayres Nov. 23, 1915 1,255,686 Ayres Feb. 5, 1918 I 1,298,285 Bogaty Mar. 25, 1919 1,685,026 I-Iults Sept. 18, 1928 1,867,546 Baer July 19, 1932 2,101,352 Takenoga Dec. 7, 1937 2,140,337 Somes Dec. 13, 1938 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 370,659 Germany Mar. 5, 1923 343,925 Germany Nov. 11, 1921 433,579 Germany Sept. 2, 1926 669,091 France July 27, 1929 

